Little Family
by UmbraLunae
Summary: Meg and John's family has grew, Now they have four children, and Meg thinks about how her life has changed


**Hey everyone! So I'm in the middle of reading Little Women again and have been sorting my room out, and whilst I have been looking through old work, I found some things wrote about different stories like Little Women, To kill a mockingbird, Railway Children, Of Mice and Men and more. So I thought I'd put them up on here! They will be changed a little, and I'm not promising that they are any good! But I hope to get fair reviews from them. **

**They will all be either one shots or short stories; So I hope you like them. This one is about Little Women. And Meg's life with John, years after the book.**

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Meg sat in her little, plush chair next to the fire place. She sat smiling to herself, as she continued her sewing; Meg thought to herself, just how much things have changed. Since Meg was young, all she had wanted was to have a pretty house, and pretty children. To own pretty dresses, and be the pretty mistress of her pretty house. She was surprised that in a way so many things had changed but in other ways, it hadn't. Meg had wanted riches and luxuries; and now as she sat watching her children play in front of her, she realized that wasn't what she wanted now. Meg had her pretty house and her pretty children, she was the pretty mistress of her small household; but Meg didn't care for riches now. She was more then content with how things were now.

Meg smiled, her family had started with the birth of the twins Daisy and Demi. A few years down the line, she was with babe again, and gave birth to little James. Not even a year after James was born, Meg was with child again and gave birth to Allyson. Now, as she sat sewing, watched her four children who had grown up rather well she believed. Daisy and Demi were now fourteen, James was twelve now and Allyson was eleven. Her four children were all doing their own little things, being apart of the Busy Bee Society. Daisy sat by her mother's skirts, and read her own book of Pilgrim's Progress. Demi sat at a desk with his little brother James. The two were hard at work with their studies; currently working on practicing their German. Lastly was little Allyson, she sat on the rug in front of the fire, copying her mothers movements. Whereas Meg was tending to her husbands clothes, Allyson was tending the clothes of her dolls.

Meg loved her little family. John was out at work, and the family sat in the Busy Bee Society waiting for their father and husband to come home. Daisy was the perfect little lady, and in fact reminded Meg, quite a bit of herself when she was younger. Daisy liked the finer things in life, but where her mother had longed for them, Daisy enjoyed them as a treat. Daisy looked after her siblings, as Meg had looked after her sisters. Daisy would tend to their scrapes when they were playing, and used to sing James and Allyson to sleep when they were small when her mother would go out on errands during the day. Daisy enjoyed her studies, although not as much as James and Allyson. Daisy loved her family, nothing seemed more important to the little lady, and if there was anyone she looked up to more then her marmee, it was her grand mama.

Demi was a trouble a maker, he reminded his parents as a mixture between Teddy and Jo. Demi, learnt not to take things too far, because like his twin, family was incredibly important to him. He enjoyed helping his younger brother and sister study. Demi and his father had spoke about what the future held, and whilst he had thought about going into teaching like his father, he didn't want to. He couldn't see himself as a tutor, he didn't want to go into the army, and right now, he just couldn't choose. He was content, for now, with looking after his family at home whilst his father was at work. If he admitted it, he wanted to travel, to see the world; but he would refuse to allow his family to pay for his trip, so Demi would take odd jobs on and save up for his trip. His mother and father, and even Daisy did wonder what on earth he was saving for, the only one he had told was little Allyson.

Then there was James, for a while, Meg and John had wondered if James had a small crush on a maid of theirs. They had watched as James would follow Kate around, and ask questions about what she was doing, why did something, how she did it. He would talk to her about his studies, and find flowers for her. But when John sat down with James he found out that James did not have a crush on her. He was just very fond of her, he liked spending company with her. He had been afraid to tell anyone his little secret, but Kate had caught him in the act. James's secret was that he loved baking, he just knew that if Demi found out, James would not hear the end of it. His brother would mock him more then usual, but Kate did not mock him, in fact she encouraged him. She could see that it made him happy and would allow him to help when she was going to bake for the family. James had begged his father not to say anything to anyone, he didn't want anyone to know, not yet So John had agreed to keep quiet until James was comfortable with telling everyone, and did not even tell his wife. From then on, John would find all sorts of sweets and cakes hidden away for him, and he knew they were from James. John had to admit, James had a talent for this.

Lastly, was Allyson. It amazed Meg just how alike Allyson was to Beth. Allyson was incredibly shy; and allowed only her father, James, Beth and her grandfather to call her Ally. It had been her grandfather March to call her Ally when she was just a tot, of course he loved all his grandchildren just the same; but there had been something about little Ally. Meg believed her father felt the same way, that she was a lot like Beth. She was treated with great care, and was the only one that did not fall victim to Demi's teasing's. Grandfather March and Beth spent a lot of time with Ally, Beth had given Ally all of her old dolls and taught her how to play piano, something that Ally had wished for but could never strike up the courage to ask about. Beth was aware that Ally would stand in the doorway and listen to her play, and gradually, Ally would enter the room slowly, until she was sat next to Beth and watching her fingers glide over the keys. Then Beth would play easier tunes, and slow then down and teach Ally how to play. Meg couldn't thank her father and Beth enough, the two just knew how to deal with Ally, Meg had believed she knew what to do after living with Beth, but Jo had always been there for Beth more then she had been, and found things a little difficult; but if there was ever a definition of daddy's girl it was Ally. She had John wrapped round her little finger, something that Meg would tease her husband about.

Meg had a perfect family. Her children were all growing up in their own ways, though at times they mirrored Meg and her sisters when they were younger.

"Marmee?" Ally's sweet little voice said. "When will daddy will be home? He's much later then he normally is?"

" I know, sweet child, but worry not. He told me this morning he might be a little late, he's just picking something up."

Meg smiled. It was a winter evening, and she could understand why her little darling was worried about her father. The evenings were getting darker and colder, and it always felt better when John was home. When their little family was complete, and they all sat together. John would read a story to their children in the lounge. Daisy would sit by her mother with her sewing, sometimes she would pretend she was not listening. Claiming she was too old to listen to night time stories, but she always picked a book when it was her turn. Night time stories was one of Meg's favorite times as well, she loved John dearly already but when she saw him pick the chosen book up and sit down with his children surrounding him, it made her heart melt. Sometimes John would sit in his large, velvet chair and James and Ally would sit on his knee or on the arms of the chair, and other times John would sit on the floor with the children cuddled under his arms, he would change his voice for each character and plot change. At the moment they were working their way through fairy tales, they were in the middle of reading Little Red Riding Hood, picked out by Ally.

The little family did not have to wait long before John came home. Ally and James were over the moon to see their father and it was Demi who say the packages in his father's arms.

"What are those papa?"

"Your Christmas presents."

"So early?"

"Yes Demi, I need the four of you to know something." John spoke soberly, " Come and sit by me here, on the floor. Yes, even you Daisy."

John waited as his four children joined him on the floor, he looked up to his wife's gentle face before continuing.

"Now, I've already spoke about this with your mother, and I'm ever so sorry to do this to you but..."

"Papa?" James asked in a small voice, "You've not done anything wrong, have you?"

"No, little one. I have not." John chuckled. "I am afraid, that I will not be here this Christmas."

John sat in silence whilst his children processed this. He watched their faces, just watching their disappointed faces, made him regret this decision to take this job, but he and Meg had agreed not to talk to the children about anything to do with their financial situation. They needed him to take this job, so John had decided, without letting the children know, that his little family would celebrate early.

"Have you all got gifts for each other?"

"No papa" Demi answered. Demi had a gift for his mother, for James and for Ally.\

"Yes father." Daisy said.

James and Ally, who always worked together with their gifts had not been able to get their gifts together in time either. So it was decided that John would give their gifts now, then on Christmas day, They would go to Grand-Mama March's house and celebrate there with the rest of the family. John was due back about the second week of January, and that was when the rest of the family would give their gifts. John pulled the packages around and handed the first one to Daisy. She took it gracefully and thanked her father before opening it.

"Oh Father!" She cried, "It's beautiful."

Inside her package was a lovely dress, it was a deep red almost pink colour was a floral design on it. With white lining and white lace, he knew his little lady was look very mature and be the belle of the ball. John knew that there was a party in a few days which Daisy and Demi were invited too, there was matching shoes with a small heel and a small hair ornament, a flower in the same colour as the dress. Daisy sprang up from her spot on the floor, and wrapped her long arms around her father's neck.

"Thank you! I love it!" She praised, as she planted a delicate kiss on her father's cheek.

Next, it was Demi's turn. John had been unsure of what to get Demi, but settled on a navy blue coat with silver fastenings, a new pair of brown boots and a book. Courtesy of Jo, who had bought it for herself. John had been speaking to her about it. He knew Demi was after it, and Jo just wasn't enjoying the book so gave it to John for her nephew. Demi's face lit up when he saw the book.

"Papa! Thank you!" He beamed.

John handed a package to James, he knew he was not allowed to give any hints to the baking so turned to the next best things he could think of for James. First for James, was a box of toy soldiers. Difference between these and any others were they were just figures, there was a set of paints with them for James to colour the uniforms in himself. He had also given James a new German book. James looked up at father and hugged from where he sat.

"You're the best, papa!"

Next was little Ally. Her first gift was a new apron for the front of her dresses. It was white with an almost invisible blue pin stripe, at the bottom of each corner was a pink ribbon. Her next gift, a music book. Ally looked surprised, she thought that only Beth and Grand-papa March knew about that. Ally cuddled into her father's side.

"Thank you daddy!"

John smiled, his little terrors were all happy and that made him happy.

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**There you are. This was much longer, but I thought this was a perfect spot to end it. If anything liked it, I'll write more.**

**Tell me what you think! No flames please!**


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